Fuel burner



arch 17, 1936. a. G. CHATAIN 2,034,022

FUEL BURNER Filed Jan. lO, 1933 if@ MM M ATTO NEY lil Patented Mar. 17, 1936 UNITED STATES Henri G. Chatain,

Application January 10,

FUEL BURNER Erie, Laboratories, Inc., tion of Ohio 3 Claims.

is had of solid fuels such as coal, coke and the like, in sizes too great to permit combustion in suspension in a practice with stream of air as is sometimes the so-called pulverized fuels.

The principal general object of the invention is to provide for combustion of improved characteristics, rapid, complete, and at a perature. Another object maximum temis to provide an intimate commingling between the fuel particles and the gas, usually air, ing the combustion volume of air supplied to for their combustion, durperiod, without increasing the the fuel beyond that necessary for complete combustion.

More particularly this is accomplished by increasing the relative velocity between the fuel and its air without increasing the volume of air.

The invention thus of the fuel in a controlled combustion so that the air upon the fuel, by

contemplates rapid motion volume of air during has a brushing effect which combustion is accelerated.

The exact nature of this invention together with further objects and advantages thereof will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,

Which is a conventionalize of the principles of With reference now carrying bed, generally of d showing illustrative the invention.

to the drawing, I is the fuelthe conical form in- Idicated, arranged about an upright axis with its small end lowermost, and face lined with fire brick 2 material. The upper,

having its inner suror like heat resistant large end, of the bed may be ared outwardly as indicated at 3, and its lower,

small, end has an opening as at 4. The bed is arranged for rotation upon configuration. For this purpose the axis of its conical it has a rigidly associated sleeve 5 carried in bearings E and l, and motor means 8 is arranged to drive the sleeve 5 as by the belt 9 running over Means are provided for hollow of the bed by way of the pulleys indicated. feeding fuel into the the opening For this purpose a tube I is led to the small end of the bed, upwardly ing sleeve of the for forcing fuel Such means are through the hollow of the drivlatter, and means are provided into the opposite end of the tube. here conventionally shown as the usual ram II operated by motor I2 through gearing I3 for intermittent delivery from the hopper I4 into the tube Il).

Air for combustion is delivered to the hollow of the fuel bed as by a pip I6 arranged centrally of the opening 4. A deflector plat I5 having its mouth bed opposite the fuel e I1 may be associated Pa., assignor to Northern Cleveland, Ohio, a corporawith the mouth I6 as by legs I8, whereby air delivered through the pipe I5 will be directed radially outwardly as it leaves the mouth I6. It will be appreciated thtat the pipe I5 may be served by a blower, and at any rate the delivery of air through the pipe is controlled, as conventionally indicated by valve I9.

An ignition device conventionally indicated at 2 may be associated with the plate i1.

The fuel bed and immediately associated parts are enclosed in a housing ZI, preferably'cylindrical. The housing includes a transverse partition 22 below the fuel bed and shown as rigidly associated with the base casting 23 which carries the fuel bed bearings 6 and l.

This partition has an opening 24 and an ash chute 25 is arranged as indicated to deliver from the opening to the outside of the housing 2l. A number of radially extending paddles or scraper arms 26 overlying the partition 22 are rigidly associated with a collar 2l, rotatably mounted upon a cylindrical bearing 28 of the base casting 23. This collar 21 carries a ring gear 29 with which a pinion 3i) is mounted for driving engagement. The pinion shaft 3I extends out beyond the wall of the housing ZI and there carries a crank 32. Obviously the arrangement is such that operation of the crank 32 will cause rotation of the Scrapers 2B whereby ashes collected on the oor of the partition 22 will be delivered into the chute 25. The housing 2l may be provided with a reinforcing member 33 immediately above the fuel bed and serving as a baffle adjacent the peripheral extremity of the latter.

It Will be appreciated that the housing 2 I, above the partition shown has an associated heat transfer device, and that means are provided for disposition of the gaseous products of combustion. These are not shown, as being well known in the art and forming no part of the present invention.

Operation will be as follows, assuming the furnace in operation, the fuel bed being rotated by the motor 8, the fuel being delivered to the bed by operation of the fuel feeding apparatus, and air being delivered to the fuel by the pipe I5.

The rate of fuel delivery is of course adjusted to the capacity demand of the burner. The fuel is delivered from the hopper I4 to the bed by way of the opening li in the latter which is served by the tube I0. The fuel as it passes through the opening i and into the fuel bed, is of course cold.

The bed is rotated at such a speed that the fuel therein is caused to move slowly upwardly upon the lining 2 of the bed by centrifugal force. 55

Gravity having a constant effect on the fuel tending to move it downwardly, and the centrifugal by varying the speed of bed rotation, the rate of upward travel of the fuel may be nicely controlled by varying the speed of the motor 8. Also, the centrifugal force main- ,t'ains the fuel spread evenly upon the lining 2 so that as the fuel progresses upwardly past the opening 4 it shortly assumes an annular form, generally conical as indicated.

The pipe i 5 delivers air into the hollow and cooled by the air owing through it, the temperature of which air is correspondingly raised. The air ows onto the fuel radially from the cone Thence as it strikes the lfuel it must rise the gaseous discharge of the cone should disclose substantially no oxygen. The volume of air delivered through the pipe is controlled as by the valve I9 or equivalent means to this end.

As the fuel rises on the bed the centrifugal force upon it becomes greater, since its radius tremity of the cone whence it is thrown olf and drops upon the partition 22. Thereafter it may be removed by way of the chute 25 by manipulation of the crank 32.

It is to be observed that the fuel during its combustion has rapid absolute motion in a conminute pitch, since its rotating component of motion is very much greatits upwardly and outwardly advancing component of motion. The air on the contrary against the fuel.

having high turbulence relative to the fuel particles so that combustion is very rapid. This high mum temperature.

The fuel-carrying bed being imperforate and lined with suitable material, there is no danger of burning out the bed, notwithstanding the extreme temperatures attained. The usual problem of clinkering is entirely eliminated. If elinkers form they are rapidly removed from the surat the upper extremity of the part 3 has greater pitch than the part therebelow, and the motion of ash relative to that of the cone Will be grealy accelerated as the ash moves onto the part 3.

What I claim is:

1. The method of burning solid fuel in the form of particles which may be too great to be carried by a stream of air, comprising supporting said fuel exposed to a controlled volume of air for combustion, and maintaining said supported fuel,

during its combustion, in motion about an axis at a high speed, both absolute and relative to said Volume of air.

2. In a furnace, a conical upwardly divergent fuel-carrying wall,

3. In a furnace, a conical upwardly divergent fuel-carrying wall, means for feeding fuel to the apex part of said wall, means independent of said fuel-feeding means, for

advancement and including means for delivering air adjacent said apex part, in radial directions.

HENRI G. CHATAIN. 

